Nigeria: Chief Joshua Dariye

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What charges have been preferred against the Governor of Plateau State, Nigeria, Chief Joshua Dariye, by the Crown Prosecution Service, and whether they will give details of the bank accounts and assets frozen in connection with these proceedings.

Lord Goldsmith: No charges have been brought against Chief Joshua Dariye to date. The Crown Prosecution Service has provided advice to the Metropolitan Police, and the police investigation is ongoing. It would be inappropriate for me to comment further on this matter at this stage.

Iraq: Legality of Armed Force

Baroness Hanham: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Goldsmith on 17 March 2003 (WA 2), whether the draft text of this Answer was discussed either by the Prime Minister's Director of Government Relations, Baroness Morgan of Huyton, or the Lord Chancellor prior to its publication; and, if so, whether the Attorney-General agreed to any change in the draft text of that Answer, proposed by either Baroness Morgan or the Lord Chancellor or officials instructed by them.

Lord Goldsmith: The Written Answer of 17 March 2003 was drawn up in my office. Those involved were myself, the Solicitor-General, two officials in my office, three officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and Christopher Greenwood QC. The draft was also discussed with the then Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine of Lairg. I was fully involved throughout the drafting process and personally finalised, and of course approved, the Answer.
	No other Minister or official was involved in any way. In particular, neither Baroness Morgan of Huyton nor Lord Falconer of Thoroton, nor any official in the Prime Minister's office had any involvement whatever in the drafting of the Answer. I have never said that they did so. As I have always made clear, I set out in the Answer my own genuinely held, independent view that military action was lawful under the existing Security Council resolutions. The Answer did not purport to be a summary of my confidential legal advice to the Government.

Terrorism Act 2000

Lord Lloyd of Berwick: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many arrests have been made under Parts I to VI and VIII of the Terrorism Act 2000; and under which sections of that Act the arrests were made; and
	How many persons have been charged with an offence under Parts I to VI and VIII of the Terrorism Act 2000; and under which sections of that Act the person were charged; and
	How many persons have been convicted of an offence under Parts I to VI and VIII of the Terrorism Act 2000; and under which sections of that Act the persons were convicted; and
	What sentences have been passed in respect of persons convicted of offences under Parts I to VI and VIII of the Terrorism Act 2000.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Statistics provided to the Home Office by the police on arrests and charges from 11 September 2001 until 31 December 2004 under the Terrorism Act 2000 are on the Home Office website at www.homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk/terrorism. (These are compiled from recent police records and are therefore subject to change as cases go through the system.)
	Key Facts and Statistics
	Police records show that from 11 September 2001 until 31 December 2004, 701 people were arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000.
	Charges
	119 of these were charged under the Act. Of these, 45 were also charged with offences under other legislation.
	135 were charged under other legislation. This includes charges for terrorist offences that are already covered in general criminal law such as murder, grievous bodily harm and use of firearms or explosives.
	Convictions
	17 individuals have been convicted of offences under the Terrorism Act
	Other Information
	The following table gives the outcome for those not covered above:
	
		
			 Outcome  
			 Transferred to immigration authorities 59 
			 On bail to return 22 
			 Cautioned 7 
			 Dealt with under mental health legislation 7 
			 Awaiting extradition 1 
			 Returned to prison service custody 1 
			 Released without charge 351 
		
	
	More detailed information is not held by the Home Office.

Drug Use

Lord Adebowale: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their estimate of the number of crack cocaine users in England and Wales for each year for which figures are available; and what estimates they have set for the years 2005–06 and 2006–07 for the number of crack cocaine users in England and Wales;
	What is their estimate of the number of heroin users in England and Wales for each year for which figures are available; and what estimates they have set for the years 2005–06 and 2006–07 for the number of heroin users in England and Wales; and
	What is their estimate of the number of people who use crack cocaine and heroin combined in England and Wales for each year for which figures are available; and what estimates they have set for the years 2005–06 and 2006–07 for the number of people who use crack cocaine and heroin combined in England and Wales.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The British Crime Survey (BCS) provides an estimate of the number of people in England and Wales who used drugs in the year before interview. The estimated numbers of heroin and crack cocaine users obtained from the BCS between 1996 and 2002–03 are shown in the following table. Estimates of the number who used both heroin and crack cocaine are not currently available.
	
		Table: Estimated number of people aged 16 to 59 who used (a) crack cocaine and (b) heroin in the year before interview based on BCS data.
		
			   1996 1998 2000 2001–02 2002–03 
			 Drug   
			 Crack cocaine Low estimate 11,000 13,000 76,000 38,000 46,000 
			  Best estimate 25,000 28,000 108,000 56,000 64,000 
			  High estimate 54,000 60,000 153,000 83,000 90,000 
			 Heroin Low estimate 26,000 20,000 57,000 30,000 31,000 
			  Best estimate 46,000 39,000 85,000 47,000 46,000 
			  High estimate 81,000 75,000 126,000 71,000 69,000 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Source 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001–02 and 2002–03 BCS.
	2. As with all survey estimates, particularly those for comparatively rare behaviours such as class A drug use, these estimates are subject to uncertainty as shown by the low and high estimates shown in the table. Apparently large year on year changes can occur by chance and cannot necessarily be considered indicative of a real trend over time.
	3. From 2001, the reporting year for BCS data switched from calendar to financial years.
	4. The figures are calculated using population estimates provided by the Office for National Statistics.
	However it should be noted that as a survey of households, the BCS does not cover some groups who may have relatively high rates of heroin and crack cocaine use, such as the homeless and prisoners. Nor, in practice, will any household survey cover people whose lives are so busy or chaotic that they are hardly ever at home. These estimates will therefore underestimate the number of heroin and crack users in the country. Research to obtain better estimates of the number of problematic drug users (PDUs) on a regular basis is currently underway. At present we estimate that for around 250,000 PDUs in England and Wales, drugs cause considerable harm to themselves and others.

Religious Hatred Offences: Prosecutions

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps have been taken, and what further steps are planned, to protect converts from Islam to Christianity in the United Kingdom from violence, threats of violence or harassment related to religion.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The Government deplore any threats made by any religious group against any individual who has chosen to apostasise. We want to ensure that individuals from any religious group have protection against hatred being stirred up against them. That is why we are, through the Serious Organised Crime and Police Bill, extending the existing incitement to racial hatred offences so that they also outlaw the stirring up of hatred against people because of their religious belief or lack of religious belief.
	These provisions will ensure comprehensive protection for converts from Islam to Christianity adding to the public order legislation that deals with any form of direct harassment, threats, or violence, and the common law offences which outlaw inciting the commission of any criminal offence.
	Additionally, the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, as amended by the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001, provides for nine religiously-aggravated offences which make available to the courts higher maximum penalties where there is evidence of religious hostility in connection with the offence. There is also a statutory requirement for sentencers, where there is evidence of a religious element in the commission of an offence, to consider this as an aggravating factor meriting an increased sentence.
	Both the police and the prosecution services are taking seriously the need to protect people who may be targeted because of their race or religion. In its public policy statement published in 2003 the Crown Prosecution Service gave a commitment to prosecute racist and religious crime fairly, firmly and robustly. The Government welcome the fact that the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) has published a guide (currently being updated and to be re-released shortly) that sets out the police service's approach to identifying and combating hate crime and hate incidents.
	The Government believe that adding protection against incitement to religious hatred to the existing measures will afford protection to anyone who might find themselves targeted because they have renounced their faith.

War Memorials: National Inventory

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What help they have given, or will be giving, to the United Kingdom National Inventory of War Memorials in support of its three-year project to record the names on every memorial, so as to make it possible to trace a war cemetery abroad from a name on a local war memorial and to discover the action in which the service man or woman died.

Lord Bach: The Government recognise the great value of the work of the United Kingdom National Inventory of War Memorials in raising public awareness and appreciation of the nation's war memorials and monitoring their condition. The new project will be a major enhancement of that work and we wish it every success.
	It has, however, been a long-standing policy of successive governments that war memorials are not funded by public money but by private donations or subscriptions. This policy extends to the work of the national inventory. The organisation understands the policy and has recently launched a public appeal to raise the £2.2 million which is required.

Future Aircraft Carrier

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	(a) what form the organisation of the project for the new aircraft carriers will take;
	(b) who the participants in that organisation will be;
	(c) what will be the proportionate share of each of them in the project;
	(d) how their respective responsibilities will be allocated and defined;
	(e) how each of them will be represented in the direction and management of the project;
	(f) what form the documentation of this arrangement will take;
	(g) when that documentation will be agreed and signed; and
	(h) whether they will ensure that the National Audit Office reviews and reports on that arrangement and its documentation as one element in the major projects report for 2005.

Lord Bach: The future aircraft carrier project is managed and executed by an integrated team drawn from the resources of each participant in the alliance. It is directed by an alliance management board, which has a lead representative from each participant and is chaired by the Ministry of Defence, as the client.
	Alliance participants are likely to include the Ministry of Defence, BAe Systems, KBR UK and Thales UK. Depending on developments, the inclusion of others is not ruled out. Final membership will be confirmed when we take the major investment decision to move into the demonstration and manufacture phases—currently targeted for the latter half of 2005. To achieve this, we will need to have finalised an alliance agreement and works contracts which, among other things, will document: the roles and responsibilities of each participant; and the risk and reward incentive scheme. These items will be defined through ongoing work with the companies.
	The National Audit Office commented on the carrier project and the alliance strategy in the 2003 and 2004 major projects reports. It is expected that this level of scrutiny will continue, although we would not wish to direct or prescribe the audit role of an independent body.

Schools: Europe Day

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Filkin on 1 February (WA 31), whether they will further consider taking steps to celebrate Europe Day on 9 May 2005, in line with proposals for a programme for such celebrations in Italian schools.

Lord Filkin: The department has no plans to organise a national celebration of Europe Day in schools. Children gain most from special events which are organised by schools themselves to support and contribute to the learning experience. We encourage schools to do this, as I pointed out in my previous Answer.

Commonwealth Institute

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will delist the Commonwealth Institute, in accordance with the unanimous wish of the trustees, in order to allow the trustees to eliminate the maintenance costs, realise the capital value of the site, and apply the resulting funds to the proposed new Centre for Commonwealth Education at Cambridge.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has received an application to remove this building from the statutory list, and has sought the advice of English Heritage, her statutory adviser on listing. She will decide, in due course, whether this building continues to meet the criteria for listing.
	The Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 allows the Secretary of State to take into account only factors relating to the building's architectural or historic interest, when deciding whether it should remain on the list.

Gambling Bill

Lord Smith of Leigh: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What impact they expect the provisions of the Gambling Bill to have on the numbers of those addicted to gambling; and whether they and the gambling industry have plans to address any problems which may arise.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: We believe that the substantial new safeguards introduced by the Gambling Bill should prevent an increase in problem gambling; and the system of regulation established by the Bill is flexible enough to enable the Gambling Commission and the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to use their respective powers to strengthen those safeguards further should the need arise. The industry has already established, as recommended by the Budd report, an independent charitable trust dedicated to the prevention and treatment of problem gambling, and is on course to fund it to the level recommended in the report. We are also confident that the industry will co-operate with the commission in the formulation and implementation of the codes of practice for responsible gambling which the Bill requires it to issue.

Post Office Card Account

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Why those wishing to open a Post Office card account cannot complete the process entirely by post.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: Customers who opt for a Post Office card account are issued with a letter, the personal invitation document (PID), from the appropriate government department, inviting them to apply for a card account. Post Office Limited is required to ensure that only genuine benefit, pension and tax credit recipients open a card account. To ensure this, customers must present the PID in their local Post Office branch where they will be handed a Post Office card account application form, which they are required to complete. The Post Office will use a PID as one form of identification for opening a card account. The majority of customers applying for a card account are already collecting their pension or benefit from the Post Office.

A1: Colsterworth Roundabout

Lord Monson: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many recorded traffic accidents there have been at the intersection of the A1 and the B6403 north of the Colsterworth roundabout in each of the past 10 years; how many of these were serious or fatal; and whether there are any plans to improve safety at this intersection.

Lord Davies of Oldham: Only traffic accidents that involve personal injuries are recorded. There were five serious and one fatal accident recorded over the 10 year period. A tabular breakdown, into categories, of the number of injury accidents recorded at the location in question follows:
	
		
			 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 (up to 31/8/04) 
			 Fatal0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Serious0 3 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Slight   3 3 2 1 2 0 1 1 0 0 
			 Total3 6 3 1 2 0 2 1 1 0 
		
	
	As part of the targeted programme of improvements scheme for the Colsterworth roundabout, the Highways Agency has proposals to improve safety at the intersection of the A1 and the B6403 north of Colsterworth roundabout. Under these proposals a new bridge is to be constructed to carry B6403 traffic over the A1. The existing gap in the central reserve will be closed.